Allnightlongtheyheardinthehousesbesidetheshore，Heard，orseemedtohear，throughthemultitudinousroar，Outofthehelloftherapidsas’twerealostsoul’scriesHeardandcouldnotbelieve；andthemorningmockedtheireyes，ShowingwherewildestandfiercestthewatersleapedupandranRavingroundhimandpast，thevisageofamanClinging，orseemingtocling，tothetrunkofatreethat，caughtFastintherocksbelow，scarceoutofthesurgesraught。
　　Wasitalife，coulditbe，toyonslenderhopethatclungShrill，aboveallthetumulttheansweringterrorrang。
　　Underthewelteringrapidsaboatfromthebridgeisdrowned，Overtherocksthelinesofanotheraretangledandwound，Andthelong，fatefulhoursofthemorninghavewastedsoon，Asithadbeeninsomeblessedtrance，andnowitisnoon。
　　Hurry，nowwiththeraft！ButO，builditstrongandstanch，AndtothelinesandthetreacherousrockslookwellasyonlaunchOverthefoamytopsofthewaves，andtheirfoam-sprentsides，Overthehiddenreefs，andthroughtheembattledtides，Onwardrushestheraft，withmanyalurchandleap，——
　　Lord！ifitstrikehimloosefromtheholdhescarcecankeep！
　　No！throughallperilunharmed，itreacheshimharmlessatleast，Andtoitsprovenstrengthhelasheshisweaknessfast。
　　Now，fortheshore！Butsteady，steady，mymen，andslow；
　　Taut，now，thequiveringlines；nowslack；andso，lethergo！
　　Throngingtheshoresaroundstandsthepityingmultitude；
　　Wanashisownaretheirlooks，andanightmareseemstobroodHeavyuponthem，andheavythesilencehangsonall，Savefortherapids’plunge，andthethunderofthefall。
　　Butonasuddenthrillsfromthepeoplestillandpale，Chorussinghisunhearddespair，adesperatewailCaughtonalurkingpointofrockitswaysandswings，Sportofthepitilesswaters，therafttowhichheclings。
　　Allthelongafternoonitidlyswingsandsways；
　　Andontheshorethecrowdliftsupitshandsandprays:
　　Liftstoheavenandwringsthehandssohelplesstosave，PraysforthemercyofGodonhimwhomtherockandthewaysBattlefor，fetteredbetwixtthem，andwhoamidsttheirstrifeStragglestohelphishelpers，andfightssohardforhislife，Tuggingatropeandatreef，whilemenweepandwomenswoon。
　　Pricelesssecondbysecond，sowastestheafternoon。
　　Anditissunsetnow；andanotherboatandthelastDowntohimfromthebridgethroughtherapidshassafelypassed。
　　WildthroughthecrowdcomesflyingamanthatnothingcanstayMaddeningagainstthegatethatislockedathwarthisway。
　　“No！wekeepthebridgeforthemthatcanhelphim。You，Tellus，whoareyou？““Hisbrother！““Godhelpyouboth！Passthrough。“
　　Wild，withwidearmsofimploringhecallsaloudtohim，Untothefaceofhisbrother，scarceseeninthedistancedim；
　　ButintheroaroftherapidshisflutteringwordsarelostAsinawindofautumntheleavesofautumnaretossed。
　　AndfromthebridgeheseeshisbrothersevertheropeHoldinghimtotheraft，andrisesecureinhishope；
　　Seesallasinadreamtheterriblepageantry，Populousshores，thewoods，thesky，thebirdsflyingfree；
　　Sees，then，theform——that，spentwitheffortandfastingandfear，Flingsitselffeeblyandfailsoftheboatthatislyingsonear，Caughtinthelong-baffledclutchoftherapids，androlledandhurledHeadlongontothecataract’sbrink，andoutoftheworld。
　　“OBasil！“saidIsabel，withalongsighbreakingthehushthatbestpraisedtheunknownpoet’sskill，“itisn’ttrue，isit？“
　　“Everyword，almost，eventothebrother’scomingatthelastmoment。
　　It’saverywell-knownincident，“headded，andIamsurethereaderwhosememoryrunsbacktwentyyearscannothaveforgottenit。
　　Niagara，indeed，isanawfulhomicide；nearlyeverypointofinterestabouttheplacehaskilleditsman，andtheremightwellbeadeeperstainofcrimsonthaniteverwearsinthatprettybowoverarchingthefalls。Itsbeautyisrelievedagainstanhistoricalbackgroundasgloomyasthelightest-heartedtouristcoulddesire。Theabominablesavages，reveringthecataractasakindofaugustdevil，andleadingalifeofdemoniacalmiseryandwickedness，whomthefirstJesuitsfoundheretwohundredyearsago；theferociousIroquoisbloodilydrivingoutthesesqualiddevil-worshippers；theFrenchplantingthefortthatyetguardsthemouthoftheriver，andtherewiththeseedsofwarthatfruitedafterwardsinmurderousstrifesthroughoutthewholeNiagaracountry；thestruggleforthemilitarypostsontheriver，duringthewarsofFranceandEngland；theawfulsceneintheconspiracyofPontiac，whereadetachmentofEnglishtroopswasdrivenbytheIndiansovertheprecipicenearthegreatWhirlpool；thesorrowandhavocvisitedupontheAmericansettlementsintheRevolutionbythesavageswhopreparedtheirattacksintheshadowofFortNiagara；thebattlesofChippewaandofLundy’sLane，thatmixedtheroaroftheircannonwiththatofthefall；thesavageforayswithtomahawkandscalping-knife，andtheblazingvillagesoneithershoreintheWarof1812，——thesearethememoriesoftheplace，thelinksinachainoftragicalinterestscarcelybrokenbeforeourtimesincethewhitemanfirstbeheldthemist-veiledfaceofNiagara。ThefactslostnothingoftheirdueeffectasBasil，intherambleacrossGoatIsland，touchedthemwiththereflectedlightofMr。Parkman’shistories，——thosepreciousbooksthatmakeourmeagrepastwearsomethingoftherichromanceofoldEuropeandays，andillumineitssavagesolitudeswiththesplendorofmediaevalchivalry，andthegloryofmediaevalmartyrdom，——andthen，lackingthislight，turneduponthemthefeebleglimmeroftheguide-books。HeandIsabelenjoyedtheluridpicturewithallthezestofsentimentalistsdwellinguponthetroublesofothertimesfromtheshelterofthesafeandpeacefulpresent。Theywerebothpoetsintheirqualityofbridalcouple，andsolongastheirownnerveswereunshakentheycouldtransmuteallfactstoentertainingfables。TheypleasantlyexercisedtheirsympathiesuponthosewhoeveryyearperishatNiagarainthetraditionofitsawfulpower；onlytheyrefusedtheircheapandselfishcompassiontotheHermitofGoatIsland，whodweltsomanyyearsinitsconspicuousseclusion，andwasfinallycarriedoverthecataract。Thispubliccharactertheysuspectedofdesigninhisdeathasinhislife，andtheywouldnotbemovedbyhismemory；thoughtheygaveasightothatdream，halfpathetic，halfludicrous，yetnotignoble，ofMordecaiNoah，whothoughttoassemblealltheJewsoftheworld，andalltheIndians，asremnantsofthelosttribes，uponGrandIsland，theretorebuildJerusalem，andwhoactuallylaidthecorner-stoneofthenewtemplethere。
　　GoatIslandismarvelouslywildforaplacevisitedbysomanythousandseveryyear。Theshrubberyandundergrowthremainunravaged，andformadeceitfulprivacy，inwhich，evenatthatearlyhouroftheday，theymetmanyotherpairs。Itseemedincrediblethatthevillageandthehotelsshouldbesofull，andthatthewildernessshouldalsoaboundinthem；
　　yetoneveryemboweredseat，andgoingtoandfromallpointsofinterestanddanger，werethesenew-weddedloverswiththeirinterlacingarmsandtheirfondattitudes，inwhicheachseemedtosupportandleanupontheother。SuchapairstoodprominentbeforethemwhenBasilandIsabelemergedatlastfromthecoverofthewoodsattheheadoftheisland，andglancedupthebroadswiftstreamtothepointwhereitransmoothbeforebreakingintotherapids；andasasoftpastoralfeatureintheforegroundofthatmagnificentlandscape，theyfoundthemfarfromunpleasing。SomesuchpairisintheforegroundofeveryfamousAmericanlandscape；andwhenIthinkoftheamountofpubliclove-makingintheseasonofpleasure-travel，fromMountDeserttotheYosemite，andfromtheparksofColoradototheKeysofFlorida，IfeelthatourcontinentisbutalargerArcady，thatthemiddleofthenineteenthcenturyisthegoldenage，andthatwewantverylittleofbeinganationofshepherdsandshepherdesses。
　　OurfriendsreturnedbytheshoreoftheCanadianrapids，havingtraversedtheislandbyapaththroughtheheartofthewoods，andnowdrewslowlyneartheFallsagain。Allpartsoftheprodigiouspageanthaveaneternalnovelty，andtheybeheldtheever-varyingeffectofthatconstantsublimitywiththesenseofdiscoverers，orratherofpeoplewhosegreatfortuneitistoseethemarvelinitsbeginning，andnewfromthecreatinghand。Themorninghourlentitssunnycharmtothisillusion，whileinthecavernousprecipicesoftheshores，darkwithevergreens，amysteryasofprimevalnightseemedtolinger。Therewasawildflutteringoftheirnerves，arapturewithanunder-consciousnessofpain，theexaltationofperilandescape，whentheycametothethreelittleislesthatextendfromGoatIsland，onebeyondanotherfaroutintothefuriouschannel。Threeprettysuspension-bridgesconnectthemnowwiththelargerisland，andundereachofthesefloundersahugerapid，andhurlsitselfawaytominglewiththeruinofthefall。TheThreeSistersaremerefragmentsofwilderness，clumpsofvine-tangledwoods，planteduponmassesofrock；buttheyarepartofthefascinationofNiagarawhichnooneresists；norcouldIsabelhavebeenpersuadedfromexploringthem。Itwantsnocouragetodothis，butmerelysubmissiontothelocalsorcery，andtheadventurerhasnootherrewardthantheconsciousnessofhavingbeenwherebutafewyearsbeforenohumanbeinghadperhapssetfoot。Shegrossedfrombridgetobridgewithaquakingheart，andatlaststoodupontheoutermostisle，whence，throughthescreenofvinesandboughs，shegavefearfulglancesattheheavingandtossingfloodbeyond，fromeverywaveofwhichateveryinstantsherescuedherselfwithadesperatestruggle。Theexertiontoldheavilyuponherstrengthunawares，andshesuddenlymadeBasilanotherrevelationofcharacter。Withouttheslightestwarningshesankdownattherootofatree，andsaid，withseriouscomposure，thatshecouldnevergobackonthosebridges；theywerenotsafe。Hestaredathercoweringforminblankamaze，andputhishandsinhispockets。Thenitoccurredtohisdullmasculinesensethatitmustbeajoke；andhesaid，“Well，I’llhaveyoutakenoffinaboat。“
　　“Odo，Basil，do，havemetakenoffinaboat！“imploredIsabel。“YouseeyourselftheMidgesarenotsafe。Dogetaboat。“